I.fem. collat. form sospĭ-ta , ae, and arch. SISPITA, ae, and SEISPES, ĭtis; v. infra), adj. for sos-pets; root σάος, σῶς; and pa-, to nourish, protect; cf. pasco.
I. Act., saving, delivering; subst., a savior, deliverer, preserver (so only in the foll. examples): “Ennius sospitem pro servatore posuit, Fest. pp. 300 and 301 Müll.: templum Junonis Sospitae,” Cic. Div. 1, 2, 4; so, Sospita, an epithet of Juno (the Gr. Hygieia). id. N. D. 1, 29, 82; id. Mur. 41, 90; Ov. F. 2, 56; “in the form SISPITA,” Inscr. Orell. 1309; Num. ap. Eckh. D. N. V. 7, pp. 14 and 107; cf.: “sispitem Junonem, quam vulgo sospitem appellant, antiqui usurpabant,” Fest. p. 343 Müll.: “IVNONE SEISPITEI MATRI REGINAE,” Inscr. Orell. 5659 a; “the same abbreviated I. S. M. R. (IVNO SISPITA MATER REGINA),” ib. 1308; 2503; 3324; 4014.—
II. Pass., saved, i.e. safe and sound, safe, unhurt, unharmed, uninjured; happy, lucky, fortunate (syn.: salvus, incolumis, sanus, salvus; mostly poet. and in postAug. prose; “not in Cic.): filium tuum modo in portu vivum, salvum et sospitem vidi,” Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 93: “exagoga (with salva),” id. Rud. 3, 2, 17: ita mihi salvam ac sospitem rempublicam sistere in sede suā liceat August. ap. Suet. Aug. 28: “sospes et superstes gnatus,” Plaut. As. 1, 1, 2; “sospes incolumisque (Caesar),” Plin. Pan. 67, 5: “sospes Iter incipe hoc,” Plaut. Cas. 4, 4, 1: “sospites in patriam restituere,” Liv. 2, 49, 7; 5, 28, 4; “virginum matres juvenumque nuper Sospitum,” Hor. C. 3, 14, 10: “Hesperiā sospes ab ultima,” id. ib. 1, 36, 4: “vix una sospes navis ab ignibus,” id. ib. 1, 37, 13: “fortuna do. musque Sospes ab incursu est,” Ov. M. 10, 401: Juppiter, da diem hunc sospitem Rebus meis agundis, favorable, auspicious, Plaut. Poen. 5, 4, 15: “mutare lares et urbem Sospite cursu,” Hor. C. S. 40.
